Since the day that Mr. Donald J. Trump was inaugurated, the democracy of the United States of America has been under siege.  To my knowledge, no democracy has ever lasted longer than that of the United States of America.  My hypothetical equation as to how much damage that our democracy will sustain under the so called leadership of Mr. Trump, if we will recover from it or whether it will even last is this: (18000 L + TIO + IATIO)/3.5 Y x DJT Lifespan = DJTDTD.  In this equation “L” = lies, “TIO” = time in office, “IATIO” = influence after time in office, “Y” = years, “DJT” = Donald J. Trump and DJTDTD = Donald J. Trump damage to democracy.  So to state the equation, it is: the sum of 18,000 lies plus time in office plus influence after time in office divided by 3.5 years times Donald J. Trump lifespan = Donald J. Trump damage to democracy.  In other words, the democracy of the United States of America could hinge on this hypothetical equation and whether or not, by way of our vote, we will cut that “TIO” short.  If we cut it short, America stands a much greater chance of continuing to survive as a democracy.

What did we get ourselves into when America elected Mr. Trump – according to the American intelligence community, with Russia’s help?!  Only history will reveal the complete story.  Unfortunately, many of us will not be around when the final chapter of this occupier of the Oval Office, The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America is revealed.  Whether or not we are around for the final chapter, we are all witnesses right now to the unfettered carnage that Mr. Trump has unleashed and is continuing to unleash on America.

With the Novel Coronavirus that has America in its grip – and to date has killed almost 120,000 Americans – and protests in every state of the United States and around the world because of the rate at which the police are brutalizing and murdering black men and women as if our lives do not matter, The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America has chosen to move on from the coronavirus pandemic and focus on his reelection campaign.  He has moved on from the coronavirus problem by pretending that the pandemic no longer exists in America and is in essence discouraging Americans from wearing masks and from social distancing. He and his Republican minions in the House and Senate are pushing “reopening” America with little to no regard given to advice by scientists and health experts as to how to handle such a reopening.

As regards the brutalization and murders of black men and women by police and the need for transformational reform in the 18,000 police departments throughout the United States, Mr. Trump and almost all congressional Republicans insist that there is not systemic racism in the police departments around the country and that a “few bad apples” in these police departments are causing these problems.  They insist that the problems in police departments can be solved with more training and a bit of tweaking.  Those in the United States and around the world who have been protesting and demanding change because of the way that the police in America treat black people obviously disagree.  And they are continuing to express that disagreement.

Mr. Trump and his administration have failed miserably to provide America and the American people with the leadership that we deserve.  The United States State Department and Department of Justice (DOJ) have succumbed to Mr. Trump’s influence and have now become completely possessed by him.  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo eagerly carries Mr. Trump’s water and DOJ head, William Barr, is nothing more than Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer.  He has done nothing to act as the American peoples’ lawyer and he has lost the confidence of his predecessors, his peers and many of those civil servants who, unfortunately, fall under his auspices.

I would be remiss if I did not mention Trump former National Security Advisor John Bolton.  Mr. Bolton, for whatever reason – I believe it was for consideration of future potential profit from a book that he wrote, was also among those who protected and enabled Mr. Trump: he refused to testify in the House impeachment proceedings and said that he would only testify before the senate if subpoenaed.  With the Republican-led senate, guided by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, hell-bent on clearing Mr. Trump of all Impeachment charges to the point where they chose to have a trial without calling any witnesses, Mr. Bolton did not have to concern himself about being subpoenaed.  He likely knew this in advance.  And although Mr. Bolton’s testimony probably would not have changed the final result of Mr. Trump’s impeachment trial, it would have put more pressure on the senate to avoid presenting a sham trial to the American people.  I agree with Congressman Adam Schiff; former National Security Advisor John Bolton might be an author but he is not a patriot!

The failed well-warranted attempt to impeach and convict Mr. Trump allowed him to remain in office to complete his first term.  And there is no doubt that The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America can do a tremendous amount of damage between now and the time that he leaves office if he should lose.  But he can do far more damage if he is given another four years.  Whether you support Mr. Trump or feel that America needs a new president, it is incumbent upon all of us to vote this November.  And if we all vote no matter how many roadblocks that Mr. Trump and his Republican minions place in our paths, I am confident that America will have a new president in office in January 2021.  I believe that that new president will be a Democrat.  I also believe that all of those elected officials who placed their personal and political ambition above their oath to defend America against all enemies foreign and domestic and blindly followed The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America will be held to account and will be replaced.

So always remember, whether you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

With the handling of the death of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, the effort by the U.S. Department of Justice to dismiss all charges against General Michael Flynn, the reduction of the sentence of Roger Stone and the release of Paul Manafort from jail to complete the rest of his sentence at home under house arrest, it does cause one to question whether lady justice is really blind or if she only sees white; especially if those “ones” are people of color.  This applies even more so to those “ones” if they are Black.

Heck, right now The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America is even trying to get President Barrack Obama investigated under a trumped up (pun intended) charge that he is calling Obamagate.  When reporter Phil Rucker from The Washington Post asked him what the specific crime was that he was referring to The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America responded “you know what it is, just read the newspapers – except yours; you’re fake news.”  I’m pretty sure that the so called crime that he was referring to was PWB or President While Black.  Why Not?  If you are going to have a trumped up charge, why not pair it with a trumped up crime?  That would make perfect sense to any self-proclaimed stable genius, right?

With the deaths from COVID-19 approaching 90,000, The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America is promulgating the news that “vaccine or no vaccine, we are back.”  He is not only encouraging all of the states to completely reopen but he is pressuring them to do so.  He is also advocating that all of the schools reopen.  He says that, in the scheme of things, COVID-19 is impacting on a very small number of the American people and that among those who get this virus, many of them end up with only sniffles.  Further, among those who get it, he believes that the vast majority of them not only recover but they become immune.  Problem solved!  So in the mind of any self-proclaimed stable genius, there is no need to do any further research on this virus, right?

Most Americans – whether they are Democrats or Republicans are afraid to begin to return to work, eat at restaurants, go to bars, go to beauty solons, go to barbershops, attend sports events or do anything else that involves close contact with other people without first hearing the truth about the current status of COVID-19, whether America has it contained and/or controlled and what her plan is for reopening our country.  The American people are hungry for leadership and guidance from all levels of our government.  And although governors are striving to provide it, they are struggling due to a dearth of leadership at the federal level; especially at the very top level!  Bottom line?  The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America has abandoned the American people – including state and local elected officials – in an effort to assure that he will be reelected.  How ironic.  But it makes perfect sense to a self-proclaimed stable genius, right?

With a weak-kneed senate led by weak-kneed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, it is obvious that the American people are going to have to take the lead to save America.  Mitch McConnell led the senate in its successful effort to avoid convicting The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America of those things that were leveled against him in his impeachment trial and removing him from office although the evidence against him was voluminous.  He and all of his fellow Republicans are continuing to protect and enable Mr. Trump amid this terrible COVID-19 crisis by circling the partisan wagons around him.  They eagerly kowtow to him for political reasons rife with greed and personal gain.  The oath that they took when they took office has long become empty words whose only worth is to serve as fodder to fuel the fire of their own personal ambition and greed and to fuel the fire of the reelection campaign of Mr. Donald J. Trump.

All of those who support and enable Mr. Trump and The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America himself must be held to account for what has happened in America during Mr. Trump’s tenure as the occupier of the Oval Office.  It is crystal clear that those of his supporters who now hold office as representatives and senators are not going to honor their oath of office and step up and protect America against “enemies foreign and domestic.”  But “we the people” can still uphold our duty as American citizens.  We can do this in November 2020 by voting those out of office who have forgotten why they were elected and have with bold arrogance flagrantly trampled on and trashed their oath of office.

So always remember, whether you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

The Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America recently said that he does not have a racist bone in his body.  The only way that this can be true is if he is a mollusk: is Mr. Trump a mollusk?!  Does he have all of that racist mushy stuff sloshing around inside of an external bony shell that looks human?  That’s as scary as what all of the hatred and divisiveness that constantly flows out of his mouth has the potential of doing to America!  Mr. Trump is a United States race war looking for an opportunity to happen, he is a war with Iran desperately seeking a reason to explode onto the scene, he is chaos personified and that chaos is yearning to be free to express itself so that all eyes will be on Mr. Donald J. Trump no matter how great the resulting mayhem that follows and resounds far beyond its wake!

Mr. Trump has so many ‘acting’ officials in his administration that they are almost impossible to keep up with and the litany of scandals that have occurred on his watch are almost just as hard to track.  Real governance under his watch is at best rare and at worst (hopefully) the punch line of jokes for the late night comedians.  None of this seems to bother Mr. Trump in the least and if it has any impact on congressional Republicans, they steadfastly refuse to show it.  Their willingness to sell their soul to Mr. Trump followed by their blind loyalty to him is astounding.  Once they enter his orbit they are ultimately sucked into some kind of an indescribable black hole and into his control; a control that allows him to manipulate them to the point to where they will do almost anything for him.

A perfect example of how this strange phenomenon works is reflected in the new version of Senator Lindsey Graham.  He has morphed into someone who is totally unrecognizable when compared to the man that he was when he was a close associate of the late Senator John McCain.  When he was associated with Senator McCain he was a reasonable man who made reasonable decisions.  Even when he ran for president in 2016 he called Mr. Trump out as a kook and conman who was unfit to hold the office of president.  Now, he is a complete Trump toady who seems to like nothing better than carrying Mr. Trump’s water.

As I continue to watch Mr. Trump and these Republican congressmen it brings to mind a movie that I watched not too long ago called ‘The Best Of Enemies.’  This movie is based on fact and depicts things that actually occurred in Durham, North Carolina and it is playing out in America right now in the way that the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America conducts himself.  I am not going to spoil the movie for you by expounding on details in the event that you have not already watched it.  But even if you have not already seen it you are likely at least familiar with the events on which it is based that actually occurred in North Carolina.  So I am going to try to share my thoughts about it as it relates to the Trump administration without spoiling it for you should you decide to watch it.

In this movie as I picture it, Mr. Trump is the mayor who presided over the city council, the Republican congress members are the city council members, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is the council member who represents Ms. Ann Atwater’s district and Senator Lindsey Graham plays the part of the KKK president C.P. Ellis.  For those who have already seen the movie, you might not agree with me on who plays the various characters.  And for those who have not already seen it – after you watch it – you might not agree with me either.  But that does not matter because it does not impact on what my point is.  My point is that, under this imaginary scenario, America needs more Republicans in congress with the courage of C. P. Ellis.  And she also needs more Americans, particularly our elected government officials – especially those elected officials in Washington, to be willing to regularly and seriously participate in these ‘charrette’ type meetings regardless of what they call them (perhaps bipartisan negotiations?).  If you have absolutely no idea of what I am talking about, watch the movie.  Then everything will come into focus.

Americans need elected leaders and all other elected government officials who are seeking to be a part of something that is bigger than themselves and their political party; elected officials who are serious about protecting the constitution, governing and keeping America great.  This is not something that can be done through hatred and divisiveness but through love and togetherness: we are stronger together!  Far too many of us have already willingly journeyed much too far down this rabbit hole and toward the abyss while led by the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America.  But those Americans who are concerned about the direction in which America is traveling must not be discouraged and throw up their hands and give up because they feel that we have traveled too far down this path to turn back.  We must remember that hope is always present!  Hope, change and faith is in our DNA and most if not all of us believe that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  Keep the faith!  Stay in the fight…and win!

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

‘The Republican Mad Triad’ (TRMT), which consists of Mr. Donald J. Trump, Attorney General William P. Barr and Senate Majority Leader Addison Mitchell (Mitch) McConnell Jr., has a nefarious game plan that it is working to perfection on the American people.  These politicians are assisting Mr. Trump in moving America backwards as quickly as they can.  And they are not alone in helping him.  Almost every Republican in the United States congress is assisting him either directly or tacitly.  And those congressmen are being led by Senator Lindsey Graham who appears to be one of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s key lieutenants.

The silence of the tacit toadies is deafening!  Mr. Trump is boldly spouting the old familiar words of racist and white supremacists from many years gone by: his rhetoric sounds like words taken directly from a KKK rally.  And the stench of those standing silently by and not challenging him is as bad, if not worse, than that of those human beings that Mr. Trump is having held in cages at America’s southern border in inhumane conditions!  He is not providing them with soap or toothbrushes, he is not providing them with access to showers and some of them have been told to drink water from the toilet.  Vice President Mike Pence continues to stand by Mr. Trump and support his position in the way that he is handling the situation at the southern border.

Mr. Trump knows exactly what he is doing and it seems that he has successfully lulled the American people to sleep.  While the press continues to say that there is no way that Mr. Trump can be reelected with only the support of his base and not expanding that support to the broader electorate, they fail to take into consideration or mention the other things that he is doing to tip the 2020 election scale in his favor: things like gerrymandering, eliminating early voting, eliminating Sunday voting, the purge of voters from eligible voters records, states implementing new voting laws that have a disparate impact on people of color, intimidating potential voters, intimidating voters at the polls and more!  They fail to give serious consideration to all of these things that he is doing in the way of voter suppression!  They fail to consider what the combination of the support of his base and voter suppression can do; and this scenario does not even include the closet Trump voters who find much of what he says and does disgusting but like the affect that the things that result from his acts, no matter how disgusting, have on them.  It is an “I am not that (I do not adhere to that and do not condone those things) but I like this” (the tax break, the trend of the economy, how the resulting outcome will effect white people and etc.) kind of thing.

Wake up America!  Mr. Trump is telling Americans not to believe what they see and/or hear but to believe him.  And many Americans are buying this load of crap that he is selling them although they know that he is a proven liar and conman.  They are buying it because he has trampled on the press and worked to discredit it ever since he entered office and his tactic has worked.  One need only to look at the countries with despots and strongmen where a small percentage of those in power control 90 percent of the population or more to realize that this is not something that is impossible.  Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with looking at things from the perspective of how is this going to affect me; we all do it!  But at the same time that we look at “how is this going to affect me” we need to also look at what price is America and our fellow Americans going to have to pay for it and is it worth that price.  America has always been that kind of a country and it still is even with a Mr. Donald J. Trump leading it.  We Americans simply need to let him and his enablers know in no uncertain terms what we absolutely will not tolerate!

Mr. Trump recently attacked four U.S. congresswomen of color (a.k.a. “The Squad”) and in essence accused them of hating America and Israel and being un-American.  After accusing them of this he told them that if they did not like it in America that they should go back to where they came from.  Based on Mr. Trump’s rhetoric, he was not just addressing those four Democratic congresswomen but he was addressing all people of color.  It just so happens that I am a person of color and I say who the hell is Mr. Trump to tell me to go back to where I came from as if this is his country and not mine too?!  I am an American!  I am just as much an American as he is!  Perhaps he should go back to where he came from; that is, if where he came from would be willing to accept him after witnessing how he has been conducting himself as the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America!

Before I leave this subject, “The Squad” does not get off totally free here.  I have a message for them as well.  Mr. Trump did not attack you just by chance just as he did not defend Speaker Nancy Pelosi against you by chance.  Mr. Trump is using you to foster tension, descent and internal problems to hurt Democrats and their 2020 election chances.  He is using The Squad’s quarrel with Speaker Pelosi to promote himself and bolster his chances to be reelected.  There is no doubt that The Squad deserves respect but you must also understand why all organizations have leaders, how leadership works, understand the proper protocol to resolve problems with the leader and you must respect the leader and their right to lead.  You likely already know all of these things better than I do, but you need to do more than know them you must incorporate them into how you conduct yourselves.  Because I have no doubt that someday in the future one of you will be the Speaker or even the Senate Majority Leader.  I also have no doubt that somewhere along the way that there will be controversy on your watch and that you will want and even demand that members follow proper protocol.

With this in mind, you should resolve right now that you will not allow anyone in the TRMT to use you and the mandate that you have from your constituents to harm the Democratic Party and your chances to win the presidency, retain the House and win the Senate.  With the way that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell – the self proclaimed Grim Reaper, is packing the courts with conservative judges to Mr. Trump’s liking and blocking bipartisan legislation that Mr. Trump does not want to pass no matter how beneficial it would be to America, Democrats will need all of the leverage that they can get in order to set policies and pass legislation that will help America to heal.  Senate Majority Leader McConnell obviously fully supports Mr. Trump and all of the things that he is doing and he says that The Mr. Trump of the United States of America is not a racist.  Based on the Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s definition of racist, from my perspective, Mr. Trump could be the poster child for “racist.”  I wonder what Majority Leader McConnell’s definition is for “racist.”  A reporter should ask him that question.  Of course if the Majority Leader’s response turned out to be not to Mr. Trump’s liking, we all know that he would call it “Fake News.”

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

Is Alabama Republican Representative Mo Brooks a hypocrite, coward or both?!  Perhaps he is a sleek well-integrated model of both.  Because Colin Kaepernick said that Nike should not sell sneakers with a Revolutionary War-era flag on them Representative Brooks suggests that he should move to another country where their laws might be better suited to him?!  Is he speaking only to Colin Kaepernick or is he speaking to all people of color while using Mr. Kaepernick as his whipping boy just like the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America did when he attacked him and all other athletes of color for kneeling during the playing of the National Anthem?  And speaking of Mr. Trump who is one of the most lawless Mr. Donald J. Trump’s of the United States of America – if not the most lawless – ever, where is the voice of the Republicans who swore an oath to the Constitution of the United States when they took office?!  With everything that Mr. Trump is doing to dismantle the institutions and laws of this country while defiantly thumbing his nose at America and those branches of government that are his co-equals, where are their voices; where is Representative Mo Brooks’ voice?!

I am not saying that I agree with Colin Kapernick as regards his opinion on the previously mentioned Revolutionary War-era flag issue.  What I am saying though is that Mr. Kapernick has a right to his opinion and the right to express it without being relegated to anyone’s “not a patriot” heap and who should be banished to another country no matter that offended person’s political affiliation.  Is Representative Brooks a coward?  Is he a hypocrite?  Is he both?  Does it even matter which he is?!  What does matter is that he is not honoring his oath to the Constitution or his responsibility to the American people.  Representative Brooks and all of those other congressional Republicans who are supporting Mr. Trump while winking at his antics for whatever reason are assisting him in ruining this country and all of those great things that it stands for.  There is no legitimate excuse for doing that!  I am not suggesting that the right choices that they must make are easy ones but I am suggesting that they must make those choices; that is what they were elected to do!  That is what they swore to do to the best of their ability when they were installed in office!  It is obvious that they are not doing that.

I want to be clear.  I am not saying that Representative Brooks is a bad human being or that he should be punished for his way of thinking.  But I am saying that he is a hypocrite, a coward or a combination of the two and that he needs to clean up his act.  None of us is perfect and the majority of us are not faced with making such grave decisions with regards to our democracy as is Representative Brooks.  But the majority of us are not officials who were elected to represent the American people as a whole.  So come on Representative Brooks, stop posturing for reelection and do your job.

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

At least two supporters of former Vice President Joe Biden are obviously very angry at Senator Kamala Harris because she challenged Mr. Biden on his comments as he reminisced about his warmhearted relationship with two segregationist senators during his speech at the Jesse Jackson Rainbow PUSH Coalition.  According to an article in POLITICO by Carla Marinucci and Natasha Korecki, when one Biden supporter, Lee White, was asked about Senator Harris’ challenge he said; “She played low ball, which was out of character.  And he didn’t expect it, nor did I.  She should not have gone that route.  She’s much too intelligent, she’s been able to be successful thus far, why do you have to do that.”  Another Biden supporter from California, which is Senator Harris’ home state put it in harsher terms when he said; “It’s going to bite her in the ass.  Very early on there was a buzz… Biden-Kamala is the dream ticket, the best of both worlds.”  After this week, “That s—t ain’t happening.”

Every reasonable Democrat – and everyone else, knows that Joe Biden is not a racist and that he has fought hard for civil rights during his entire career as a politician.  Having said that, It has been proven time-and-again that politics is a tough game that tends to get into, and far too often, beyond the grey areas of what some Americans find to be beyond the pale; that is why so many of them find politics distasteful and refuse to follow it.  I don’t know if some consider what Senator Harris did to Mr. Biden to be an unfair attack that was beyond the pale; I certainly don’t think that it was: and I respect the previously mentioned Biden supporters’ right to say that she “played low ball” and that “it’s going to bite her in the ass.”  But what I do know is that what she did exposed Mr. Biden, whom I greatly admire and believe to be a man of principle and integrity, as a person who might struggle to deal with the current Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, Mr. Donald J. Trump, in a one-on-one debate and defeat him.

I am still closely watching and weighing all of the primary candidates in an effort to determine which one of them can best handle Mr. Trump, a man with no moral compass and who has no bottom when it comes to how low a human being can go when it comes to winning and/or getting their way.  After the most recent Democratic debate if the choice to be the Democratic nominee boiled down to Senator Harris or Mr. Biden, I would be compelled to give Senator Harris the edge over Mr. Biden.  I would give the edge to Senator Harris because she demonstrated some very sharp and unique skills in taking Mr. Biden apart in this debate.  And even if he did not expect her to come after him in the manner that she did he should have been able to think on his feet and avoid or, at least, greatly mitigate the amount of damage that she would be able to do to him.  He did not do that and he made matters worse in the way that he tried to defend himself.  If he was taken by surprise by the way that Senator Harris attacked him, what would happen if he were face-to-face with Mr. Trump who has no boundaries and no bottom as regards how low he can go when he plays “low ball?”

Not only did Senator Harris manage to throw Joe Biden off balance in her attack on him during the Debate but she used these same skills previously in taking down United States Attorney General William Barr when she questioned him during his testimony to the senate: she left him confused and virtually speechless during his responses to her questions.  And it was not because he did not understand the questions that she asked him.  Instead, it was because with the skill and precision with which she asked these questions he was unable to effectively be evasive and obfuscate in his responses.  These are precisely the kind of skills that the candidate who will eventually face Mr. Trump will need.  During a debate they will need to remain focused and cut through the bluster of a bloviating imposter and conman who, according to records, has lied over 10, 000 times thus far during his time in office and force him to deal with facts and the truth.  Not “alternative facts” or Trump facts, which exist only inside his private bubble of Trump World; but real facts and real truth that exists in the real world.

The Democratic primaries have really only just begun so there is still plenty of time for all of the other candidates to have the opportunity to demonstrate their skills so that voting Americans can decide who among them have what it takes to confront Mr. Trump in debates and defeat him in the 2020 general election.  Once we decide who those candidates are we can then select the very best one and throw all of our support behind them and do everything within our power to help them defeat Mr. Trump.  It is impossible to overemphasize how important it is to defeat Mr. Trump for numerous reasons.

Among those reasons why it is so important to defeat Mr. Trump are; 1) He has completely ignored the emoluments clause in the Constitution.  2) He has refused to present his income tax returns to the appropriate organizations and personnel for review so that they can assure the American people that all is well which will allow them to be comfortable and confident that he is protecting the country’s interest first rather than his own personal interest.  3) He has ignored the traditions regarding nepotism.  4) He has openly obstructed justice on many occasions and defied congressional subpoenas for materials.  5) He has instructed those who are and were a part of his administration to defy subpoenas.  6) He has caused and/or allowed children of immigrants to be separated from their parents and then placed those parents and children in detention facilities (cages) under inhumane conditions on America’s southern border.  7) He has done many other things that are unbecoming of a Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America including his current apparent attempt to ignore a U.S. Supreme Court ruling by way of an Executive Order.  The bottom line is that he has already done what might be irreparable damage to America including ruin her reputation around the world in the eyes of our allies and enemies.

With Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell by his side enabling him in everything that he does no matter how lawless or crass, the Republicans in congress and the senate remaining silent at all costs and refusing to hold him to account Mr. Trump is conducting himself as if he is invincible.  With each thing that he does for which he is not held accountable he becomes more bold in thumbing his nose at the rule of law and all American institutions that will not bow down to him and kiss his ring.  Let there be no doubt that Mr. Trump is not alone in these atrocities.  He and all of those Republicans in congress who continue to support him and wink at the way that he is conducting himself should and must be held to account.  We can assure that they are through our vote.  So always remember, whether you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!  If you value our democracy as we now know it and want to preserve it for posterity, be sure to do your civic duty and vote!

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

‘The Infamous Gang of Three’ – the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, the Republican-led congress and the Prime Minister of Israel – Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, appear to be working together in lockstep to achieve Mr. Trump’s goal to take America back to the Jim Crow and pre-Roe v Wade Days.  I am referring to the same Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu who bypassed standard protocol to inform the then President of the United States of America, Mr. Barack Obama, that he was coming to the United States of America with the intention of speaking on the floor of the United States Congress.  He certainly did not let him know that he would be speaking in an effort to undermine his effort to strike an agreement with Iran on a nuclear deal!

Although Prime Minister Netanyahu might not be motivated by the same reasons that are motivating Republican members of congress to snuggle up to Mr. Trump no matter how lawless or outrageous the things he does, he – along with the Republican-led congress – have opted to sell their soul to him in order to achieve their own personal goals.  Prime Minister Netanyahu is content to watch from the sideline as the Mr. Trump of the United States of America rips down all of the guardrails of American democracy and puts his foot on the necks of people of color and women in order for him to try to achieve his goal of what he has dubbed “Make America Great Again!”  Prime Minister Netanyahu, I challenge you to juxtapose this same situation that Mr. Trump is subjecting people of color and women to in the United States but instead with those people of color and women being Israelites; then ask yourself, would I still be as enamored with Mr. Trump as I am now?!  Would I still dedicate a town (Trump Heights) in the Golan Heights to him?!  It seems so hypocritical for someone like you to cozy up to someone like Mr. Donald J. Trump!  Think about it!

It is frightening to see Mr. Trump openly defy the laws of our country, regularly challenge co-equal branches of government and cause them to cower before him, continuously thumb his nose at America and the American people, ply dictators and strongmen with accolades and talk about the possibility that those who support him might demand that he serve more than two terms.  For whatever reasons, it appears that Mr. Trump has Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader in his pocket because Mr. McConnell is constantly aiding and abetting him.  Mr. Trump is becoming bolder each time that he breaks the law and faces no consequences but instead gains more support from the Republican Party.  With the impending decisions due from the Supreme Court, I can only hope that their responses won’t pave the way for the situation to evolve to the “Gang of Four.”  Whether or not it does, I don’t know if impeachment is the answer but something must be done to stop this out of control so-called American president.

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

Allow me to begin by stating that I have read the entire Mueller Report.  It is important that I begin with that statement because there has been a lot of talk on cable news shows lately about how congress needs to educate the public on the information contained in the Mueller Report.  Many of the cable news contributors on these shows say that this is necessary if congress has any real expectations of getting the public to support them in impeaching the Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, Mr. Donald J. Trump.  Really?!  I am not against cable news or any other media doing its part to help educate the public but, come on; we must take part in our own political education just like we did when we were in K-12 school or college.  If we don’t, even if “education by congress” does work, it will definitely encourage voters to feel privileged, expect to always be pampered and continue to expect to be spoon-fed.  We will continue to be lazy when it comes to politics, performing our civic duty and protecting our precious democracy.

What the cable news stations really need to do is to find a way to virtually grab all of us who consume cable news and the rest of America by the collar and shake us until we come back to our senses!  They need to shake us back into reality!  This is our democracy that we are talking about and whether or not it will continue to exist as we know it, if it continues to exist at all!  It is not the responsibility of cable news or anyone else to spoon-feed us when it comes to political issues and politics; especially when these issues could have an existential impact on our democracy itself!  We should not need to be spoon-fed when it comes to this!  What am I missing here?!  Are we so busy enjoying life that we don’t even have time to do our patriotic duty to help save our country from disaster?!  Are we so consumed with self that posterity does not matter?!  What about our children and our children’s children?!  Do they not matter?!

Of course, not all Americans are political geeks who obsessively follow politics; as a matter of fact, many Americans hate politics and do not want anything to do with it.  But this does not mean that they should not take the time to educate themselves on political issues and always remain educated on current political issues so that they can intelligently vote for or against candidates who are in office or for or against those who are running for office.  Voting is our civic duty!  And if we vote without having any knowledge of the issues and just on election cycle sound bites, we are derelict of duty and might as well not vote at all.  Let me be clear, I am not encouraging Americans to not vote at all but rather to get informed, stay informed and always vote.  No one expects voters to research all candidates in office or who are running for office to the “N^th” degree but it is certainly reasonable to expect them to get informed on the issues and not simply vote based on sound bites and/or the aesthetic appeal of a candidate.

The Mr. Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and his attorney general, Mr. William Barr have lied to the American people about the Mueller Report and are leading them down a rabbit hole that is taking America back to the Jim Crow days and pre Roe v. Wade days.  Mr. Trump has openly sided with President Vladimir Putin against his own American intelligence community – which Attorney General Barr is now investing to determine whether or not their investigation of Mr. Trump as it relates to Russia and Russia’s interference in the 2016 election began as the result of corruption in the American Intelligence Community – and he has sided with a dictator while on foreign soil to disparage former Vice President Joe Biden.  These are only among the most recent disgusting things that Mr. Trump has done to debase the office of the presidency and embarrass America in the eyes of the American people, America’s allies and the world.  And yet, almost all of the U.S. senators – under the leadership of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and congressional Representatives continue to support, protect and enable him.

It is extremely important that all Americans, regardless of our party affiliation, take a step back and look closely at what is happening in our country right now.  We must stop assuming that our democracy is so strong that it does not demand our attention as voters because nothing can possibly hurt, let alone, destroy it!  All of us need to focus in on what Special Counsel Mueller said when he said today that “all Americans” should be concerned about what Russia did in our 2016 election, that they are likely to try to interfere in our 2020 election and that they will likely continue to interfere in American politics into the future.  It is incumbent upon all American voters to educate ourselves on the issues and remain educated on ongoing issues.  It is and has always been important that we vote.  But in these perilous times in which our democracy and its founding principles are being tried and tested to the limit, it is of the utmost importance that all Americans fulfill their civic duty and vote.

So I want to take this opportunity to encourage all voting-age Americans to always vote.  And if somewhere along the way for any reason you find yourself making an excuse as to why you don’t need to cast your ballot always remember, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

The Donald J Trump of the United States of America continuously sucks all of the oxygen out of the room with his never-ending outrageous antics leaving very little if any for the discussion of other important issues.  One of those issues that are not being discussed is abortion and its nexus to Roe vs. Wade.  Roe vs. Wade has recently come under attack by the Republican Party and is in serious jeopardy of being overturned or at the very least, diluted to the point of being virtually meaningless.

This sudden flurry of laws banning abortion – in many cases without any exceptions for rape or incest, being past in states controlled by Republicans should have a chilling effect on all women who desire to control their own body and an awakening effect on all families.  Whether these distracting events orchestrated by Mr. Trump are by accident or on purpose, all Americans need to take some time and exert whatever amount of effort is required to refocus on how our country is being governed.  I want to take this opportunity to do what I can to assist all voting-age Americans, who might have become sidetracked, and lost their ability to remain focused to refocus.  Hopefully I can do that by way of this article.

For as long as I can remember, Democrats have too often been extremely passive when it comes to how a political issue will be branded and how the narrative of that issue will be set and controlled.  Democrats regularly sit on the sidelines, play by Republicans’ rules (although Republicans constantly break their own rules when it suits their purposes) and allow Republicans to brand political issues, controversial or otherwise, and set the narrative as they deem appropriate.  Why is that?!  For some reason – since Republicans have reverted to giving it their all to overturn Roe vs. Wade by introducing myriads of ridiculous abortion ban bills, their “pro-life” mantra has stuck in my craw.  To be clear, I get sick-and-tired of hearing them ramble on about how they are pro-life and not like those pro-choice Democrats who believe in killing innocent babies.

I am not sure who decided that Democrats should be labeled pro-choice and Republicans labeled pro-life.  Regardless of who chose the labels, to me, to be pro-choice does not automatically preclude one from being pro-life!  Whose life are Republicans talking about anyway?  It is reasonable to assume that they are referring only to the life of the fetus.  But what about the life of the woman who may be the victim of rape or incest; what about the lives of her immediate and extended family, do they matter at all in what impact such a decision will have on their lives?

How many lawmakers would feel the same way if their daughter or loved one was the victim of incest or rape?  Would they feel the same way about abortion; especially in these racially divisive times, would a white lawmaker feel the same way about this law if their daughter was raped by an African American?  Would an African American who favors overturning Roe vs. Wade feel the same way under these same circumstances?  This is an issue that should be argued by reasonable lawmakers under circumstances that are void of the volatile and tribal atmosphere that currently exists in our American politics.

Although this article is primarily meant to draw voters’ attention to the eminent jeopardy that Roe vs. Wade is in due to the nexus between it and a woman’s right to control her own body (in this particular case to choose whether or not to have an abortion), there are two points that I want to leave you with.  Since this article began by addressing the words “pro-choice” and “pro-life” – while at the same time addressing my loathing of the word “pro-life” being in essence identified as the antonym of “pro-choice, I will address that issue first.  My first point is that regardless of who chose the words “pro-choice” and pro-life”, it is time for all Democrats to step up now and stop using the word “pro-life” and begin using the word “anti-choice” instead.

During any discourse about abortion, whether or not Republicans use the word “pro-life”, Democrats should use the word “anti-choice.”  Pro-choice is not synonymous with anti-life.  We must stop allowing our opponents to brand the issue and frame the narrative so that it suites them and then spin or change those things when they no longer suit them.  My second point is closely related to the suggestion to stop using the word “pro-life” as it relates to any discussion regarding abortion: and that has to do with Democrats regularly acquiescing to Republicans on issues that Democrats oppose them on, complacently accepting Republicans’ branding of these issues and allowing them to control the narrative.  Democrats should stop automatically giving Republicans the gift of acquiescence now and seriously weigh in on the branding and framing of the narrative on these issues.

This issue regarding abortion and Roe vs. Wade is not just a women’s issue, it is a family issue and it is an issue that impacts on all Americans.  Accordingly, all Americans should come together and demand that our elected officials resolve this issue in a reasonable way.  In order for them to resolve it in a reasonable way the discourse associated with it must be conducted in an atmosphere free of tribalism and partisanship.  All voting-age Americans have a part to play in this; first, we must forsake divisiveness, resist our impulse to resort to tribalism and return to being reasonable with one another.  Then, we must work together to put reasonable politicians – whether they are Democrats, Republicans or Independents – into office.  This way we can agree to disagree while remaining civil: politicians will be able to do the job that they were elected to do and America will be better for it.

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line

I implore all Americans, especially those who are old enough to vote, to read the Mueller Report.  And if you do not have the time or the patience to read the entire report (it consists of two volumes and is 448 pages long), PLEASE at least read the “Introduction To Volume I”, “Introduction To Volume II”, and the Executive Summaries of volumes I and II.  If you read those, you will understand why the summary that Attorney General William Barr wrote and publicized and the press conferences that he held before he released the redacted version of the Mueller Report were, respectively, a farce and – at best, a publicity stunt by a Donald J. Trump toady! If you read these Introductions and Executive Summaries, I am confident that it will whet your appetite so that you will be more likely to read the entire report.

The Attorney General, whether he/she is a Republican, Democrat or Independent is supposed to be the Attorney General of the American people.  Unfortunately, Attorney General Barr is conducting himself more like the personal attorney of Mr. Donald J. Trump.  And because he refused to turn over an unredacted copy of the Mueller Report to congress, which congress has a right to see, the House Judiciary Committee voted to hold him in contempt of congress.  Further, the Donald J. Trump of America has said that the White House will ignore all congressional subpoenas.  Finally, almost all of the Republicans in the Senate and House have supported Mr. Trump for more than two years and are now supporting him in the position that he has taken regarding this matter.  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has even echoed Mr. Trump in saying “case closed” as far as the Mueller Report and its findings are concerned.

Senator Richard Burr – Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, was mentioned in the Mueller Report for leaking information to the White House about the Russia investigation.  One of Senator Charles E. Grassley’s aides was mentioned in the report for the effort that she made to find then candidate for president Hillary Clinton’s missing emails.  And as previously mentioned, almost all of the Senate and House Republicans supported Mr. Trump either openly or tacitly in making it difficult for the Mueller team to get to the bottom of those issues that brought about the appointment of a Special Counsel to investigate Russia’s interference in the 2016 election in the first place.  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell even refused to bring a bipartisan bill to the floor of the senate for a vote to protect Special Counsel Mueller from being fired.  The Mueller Report determined that Mr. Trump tried to fire Mr. Muller on more than one occasion.

The rule of law and the very democracy of the United States of America are being challenged and far too many Republican lawmakers (one would be too many) are choosing Party and reelection over Constitution and country.  Our country needs all Americans to step up and demand that all politicians who swore to defend and protect the Constitution of the United States abide by their oath and do their job!  We need to remind them that their duty is to country first, not Party and personal ambition!

Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line